Valve



Dec. 9, 1941. E. A. ROCKWELL 2,265,817

VALVE Original Filed June 27, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTQR Q fi kmm MMW.

ATTORNE Dec. 9, 1941. E. A. ROCKWELL 2,265,817

' Original Filed Jun 27, 1935 INVENTOR 1941- E. A. ROCKWELL 2,265,817

VALVE Original Filed June 27, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 q 'gg t? Ex f I i'IH I H, I WIN} w j I 1 gs P I @2 1' 5g Q;

g ewkm 0AM ATTOR EY E. A. ROCKWELL 2,265,817

VALVE Dec. 9, 1941.

Original Filed June 27, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTOR Y Dec. 9, 194-1. E.A. ROCKWELL VALVE Original Filed June 2'7, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet. 5

INVENTOR dfibewkmu l ATTORN Patented Dec. 9, 1941 VALVE Edward A.Rockwell, Forest Hills, N. Y., assignor to General Auto PartsCorporation, a corpora-,

tion of Delaware Original application June 27, 1935, Serial No.

28,699, now Patent No. 2,136,638, dated November 15, 1938.

Divided and this application October 12, 1938, Serial No. 234,637

Claims.

My invention relates particularly to a valve by means of which modulatedhydraulic pressure can be obtained for the operation of accessories forautomotive vehicles and other power installations.

This is a division of my co-pending application upon Electro flow powersupply systems, Ser. No. 28,699, filed June 27, 1935, Patent No.2,136,638, granted November 15, 1938.

The object of my invention is to provide a valve so as to provide aneffective system for the supply of power wherever desired butparticularly in connection with automobiles, as, for instance; in theoperation of automobile accessories. By means of my invention thedifferent accessories of an automobile may be effectively operated bypower in addition to the manual power applied thereto, but coordinatedin extent to the manual pressure applied. It is particularly useful inconnection with the operation of automobile brakes of any desiredcharacter, whether mechanical power brakes or hydraulically operatedbrakes. A further object is to provide a liquid medium for transmittingthe additional power, and which is controlled by the presence of sealingrings carried by the relatively moving parts. The rings are soconstructed as to be unaffected by the liquid used, and preservecompletely-tight joints without leakage and without the interposition ofsprings.

the levers after the boosting power has been applied and the parts havecome to a static position with the pressure of the booster balancedagainst the foot pressure;

Fig. 8 is a vertical section of the booster unit shown as applied to theoperation of the hydraulic brake system;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged section showing the position of the valve in thebooster when closed;

Fig. 10 shows the arrangement for connecting the rear wheel brakes tothe forward end of the booster cylinder and Fig. 11 is a cross-sectionof one of the rubber seals showing the beveled edges thereon.

Referring to the mechanically operated system for operating a brake, Ihave shown, in Fig. 1, an automobile 1 having a frame 2 for connectionin the usual'way with front wheels 3 and 4 and rear wheels 5 and 6. Thefront My apparatus, furthermore, is based on the use of a liquid underpressure, which is, however, utilized at any given time, in only smallamounts of the liquid, but which has a storage capacity under pressureso that there is no appreciable lag in the operation of the apparatus.Also, there is used a system of valve seals permitting the use of a lowviscosity liquid.

Further objects of my invention will appear fromthe detailed descriptionof the same hereinafter.

While my invention is capable of being carried out in many differentways, for the purpose of illustration I have shown only certain forms ofmy invention in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is adiagrammatic view of an automobile equipped with my invention as appliedto the operation of brakes;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section, enlarged, showing same - said lever 2|.

wheels 3 and i are provided with brakes i and 8, of any desired type,which are operated by a cross-shaft 9. Similarly, the rear wheels 5 and6 are provided with brakes Ill and II of any de sired type, which areoperated by a cross-shaft l2. The shafts 9 and I2 are provided withoperating levers l3 and M, respectively, which lead to the opposite endsof a rocker lever l5 carried near the center thereof upon a crossshaftIS, on one end of which there is an operating lever IT. The leverl'l, atits end, is provided with a pull-back spring l8 fastened to the frame 2in any desired way, anda link 19 which leads to a pivot 20. On the pivot20 there is also carried a manually-actuated lever 2| which is connectedby pivot 22 to a link 23, pivoted in turn to a brake lever 24 which ispivoted on a shaft 24a, the outer end of which is connected by a link 25to a brake pedal 26 supported on a pivot 21 carried in a bracket on afloor-board 28. When pressure is applied to the brake pedal 26 the lever2| is moved upon the pivot 20 as the reaction point and thence transmitthe manual movement to a link 33 which has an adjustable pivotal supportin a curved slot 34 at the end of The link 33, in turn, is connected toa lever 35 which is tight on a shaft 36 which is journaled in a rearbooster housing 31, mounted by means of bolts 38 and 39 upon any desiredpart of the chassis. The said rear booster housing 31 is closed at therear with a cover plate 43 secured thereon by screws 44 and the rearbooster housing 31 is secured by screws .45 to a main booster housing 46closed at the forward end thereof with a screw-cover 41.

The liquid for transmitting the boosting power is of any desiredcharacter, as, for example, the usual hydraulic brake fluid, but may,for instance, be comprised partly of castor oil, and preferably morecastor oil for lubrication than in the usual hydraulic brake liquid, andin which there is carried a large amount of a constituent to preventfreezing under all atmospheric conditions, such, for example, as analcohol. The alcohol added thereto also makes the liquid less viscous.This liquid is supplied under pressure by an inlet port 48 in the top ofmain booster housing 46 and thence into a cylindrical chamber 49 thereinin which a plunger 50 is arranged to reciprocate. The plunger 50 has anannular recess the two ends of which are closed by sealing rings 52 and53 which are of any desired composition, but preferably a rubber, andfor this purpose there may be advantageously used what is known as rosinrubber such as is used in hydraulic brakes and which is unaffected bythe liquid which conveys the power, as above referred to. It will benoted that each of these rings 52 and 53 has an outer sealing lip, orflange, 54, which prevents any leakage around the periphery of the same,but which, because of its small size, does not exert undue friction.Also, the inner portion of the ring is provided with a longer lip, orflange, 55 which retains the ring against the plunger to prevent anyleakage beneath the same. posing radial pressures. Due to the opposedfaces of the rings 52 and 53, the presence of the liquid in the annularspace 46 will not move the plunger 56. From this pointthe liquid, underpressure, passes by a series of radiating ports 56 to an internalannular recess 51 in which there are two annular sealing rings 58 and 59of the same kind of rubber as above, carrying outer circular shouldersto prevent their entering the valve ports hereinafter described, saidrings being clamped in place so as to produce effectively-sealinginternal surfaces of a reduced area, by means of rings 60, 6| and 62 anda perforated spacing ring 63, with the aid of a hollow head 64screw-threaded into the end of the plunger '56, the edges of the outerenlargements of the seals 58 and 59 being beveled on their innermostedges at 59a and 59b to permit the rubber to expand into the corners ofthe rings 60, GI, 62, 63 under pressure and so as to prevent the innerperipheries from exerting too much friction in the movement of the valve61. In this way sticking is prevented. In the interior of the plunger 56there is provided at the other end, a hollow screw-threaded plug 65carrying a spring 66 therein which tends to press towards the rear atubular valve 61 having a shoulder 68 to act as a stop against ashouldered bore 69, in which the tubular valve 61 reciprocates. Near therear end of the tubular valve 61 there are a plurality of radiatingports 16 which communicate with a tapered recess 1i leading to theexterior of the tubular valve and so as to establish communication withthe annular space 51 when the valve 61 is moved forwardly. The forwardmovement of said valve 61 is accomplished manually by pressure exertedupon a squared port-closing member 12, which is adapted to close a port12a the rear'most end of which is smaller in area at the place where itcontacts with the member 12 than the area at the forward end of thevalve to prevent chattering. The over-balancing effect of the spring 66also tends to prevent the chattering efiect. The member 12 is operatedby the movement of a squared plunger 13 held in the head 64 by a screw14 and which has an operating stem 15 contacting with the end of a lever16 tight onthe shaft 38. When the liquid under pressure is admitted tothe interior of the tubular valve 61 by the The flanges 54 and aresealed by opforward movement of the latter, due to the movement of thelever 16 by the brake pedal, the recess 'II- will be brought intocommunication with the annular recess 51 admitting the oil underpressure to the bore within the tubular valve 61 so that the pressure ofthe liquid will then be exerted through the opening in the closure 65against the cover 41 at the front end of the booster and the pressurethus produced at the front end of the plunger 50 will cause said plungerto move rearwardly until the pressure on the plunger 50 hassubstantially equalized the pressure applied by the foot, it beingunderstood that when this takes place the spring 66 will have closed theports 10 by causing the sealing ring 59 to overlie the externalcylindrical portion of the tubular valve 61, as shown in Fig. 2 due tothe follow-up action of the linkage. The pressure thus exerted on theplunger 50 by the liquid at the forward end thereof will be transmittedto a forked lever 11 which is carried by a sleeve 11a pivoted in thehousing 31 and which sleeve 11a has tight thereon a lever 16 connectedto the pivot 20 so that a boosting force will be applied to the brakeoperating link I9 connected to all of the wheels of the automobile,commensurate with the extent of the foot pressure applied by a pedal 26.A spring 18a, on a stud 18b, on the sleeve 11a, tends to restore thelevers 16 and 11 to their initial positions and enables the lever 16 tobe moved initially without moving the levers 11. To prevent leakagearound the shaft 36 and'the sleeve of the lever 11, said shaft 36 isjournaled within the sleeve "I1 on roller bearings and leakage at thisend of the sleeve 11 is prevented by a flanged sealing ring 18c of therubber material above referred to, and the same end of the sleeve 11 issealed by a similar sealing ring 18d around the sleeve 11 and within thehousing 41. The other end of the sleeve 11 is journaled in a sealedsocket in a cover plate 182 on one side of the housing 31. When it isdesired to release the pressure from the brakes the decrease of thepressure on the pedal 26 will cause the release, partly or wholly, ofthe lever 16, thereby permitting the pressure liquid to spill out orescape past the squared plunger 13 to an outlet port 19 in the bottom ofthe rear housing 31, and thence to a tube 86 which leads to a lowpressure port BI in a pres sure accumulator and supply reservoir 82,which is made of thin metal and has appurtenant parts as shown in detailin the parent Patent No. 2,136,638 above referred to.

When it is desired to apply the mechanism to the operation ofhydraulically controlled automobile accessories, this may be readilydone, as shown in Fig. 8. In this construction the parts are allarranged exactly as previously described herein, except that in thisinstance the power output, or booster action, is not accomplished bymechanical connections merely. In this instance the lower ends of thelevers 11, in actuating the brake, are connected by a link I64 to apiston I65 in a master-cylinder I66 of the same type as customarily usedin connection with hydraulic pressure systems, said cylinder I66 havingan adapter I61, a supply chamber I68 with a supply port I69, and aleakage-return-port I10, and a spring I1I which serves to retract thepiston I65 as well as the levers 11. The cylinder I66 is connected by ahydraulic line I12 to a brakeoperating line I13 leading to the frontbrake, which in this instance, it will be seen, are manually actuated aswell as being boosted by the hydraulic pressure. In this instance the.rear brakes can be operated by an hydraulic line I'll leading from aport in the forward end of the booster cylinder 46, which end of thecylinder would be otherwise normally closed by a plug I16. of the rearbrakes, may operate the same at the rear of the car in substantially thesame fashion in which the wheel brakes in the front of the car would beoperated, that is to say, by admitting the liquid under pressure to thecylinder I" which operates a piston I18 connected to a lever I19 on therear operating rod l2. However, if desired, instead of using aconstruction involving the cylinder I11 and the piston I18, I'may mounton the brake bands of each of the wheelsreither in the front or inthe-rear, or both, a double cylinder I80 having therein two pistons l8|and I82, which are connected, respectively, to brake shoes I83 and I84so that the position of the brake shoes is controlled by the pressuresupplied fromthe line H2, or whichever line is attached thereto.

In the operation of the apparatus, referring first to the operation ofthe brakes, when the pedal 26 is moved downwardly, this applies manualpressure to the brakes on the four wheels of the car through the lever24, link 23, lever 2|, link i9, levers l1, l5, l3, l4, and shafts 9' andI2, accompanied by the slight movement of the lever 18 to the left, inFig. 2, but this movement The hydraulic line ill, for the operation willalso move the link 2| to the left, in Fig. 2,

and through the link 33 move the lever 35 and the lever "to the left, inFig. 2, thus causing the tubular valve 61 to move inwardly to the leftin said figure, thus communicating the high pressure liquid, which isnormally under pressure of 500 lbs. per square inch, from the annularchamber 49 to the interior of the tubular valve 61 through the recess IIand thence to the front of the plunger 50, which will result in themovement of the plunger 50 to the right,

in Fig. 2, thereby acting on the lever 11 to elrert an additional pullon the brake rod l9 to the left in said figure. This pressure willincrease until the pressure of the liquid at the left end of the tubularvalve 61, in Fig. 2, exerted towards acts as a booster if desired. isconveyed by the tubes to the four-wheel brakes so that by the operationof the piston, such as I18, "I, I82, the various parts are actuated withmodulated pressure from the force supplied by the foot to the pedal.

While I have described my invention above in detail I wish it to beunderstood that many changes may be made therein without departing fromthe spirit of the same.

I claim: 1. A valve, comprising a source of, pressure fluid, a slidablevalve unit open at both ends and having a valve element controlling the'delivery of said pressure fluid for the performance of work, a boredmember-in which the valve unit is carried having an end chamber, annularre-. silient seals for the valve member, located in the bore, apressurefluid inlet between said seals, said valve unit having a passagewaytherethrough communicating with said chamber, and an aperture in theside of the unit adapted to be brought into communication with the fluidinlet by the movement of the valve unit for receiving said pressurefluid, and a movable mentber cooperating with the other end of saidvalve unit to control the position of the valve in the delivery of saidfluid in amounts modulated according to the force exerted by saidmovable member and to control the release of the delivered pressurefluid.

2. A' valve, comprising a source of pressure fluid, a slidable valveunit controlling the delivery of said pressure fluid for the performanceof work. a bored member in which the valveis carried, annular resilientseals for the valve member, located in the bore, a pressure fluid inletbetween said seals, said valve having a passageway adapted to be broughtinto commu- K nication with the fluid inlet for receiving said pressurefluid, and a movable member cooperating with said valve unit to controlthe position of the valve-in the delivery of said fluid in amountsmodulated according to the force exerted by said movable member and tocontrol the release of the delivered pressure fluid, said seals theright on the lever 18, equalizes the amount of the pressure applied bythe foot to the pedal 2.

26. Thereupon, when the pedal movement stops,

the tubular valve 61 will close and the plunger will be brought to restthrough the follow-up action of the linkage due to the restoringmovement of the lever 18 anti-clockwise, in Fig. 2,

acting through the movement of the means 3533 and anti-clockwisemovement of the link 2| to restore the valve 61 to lap position withregard to the piston 50. When the foot-pedal is released partially orwholly from the foot pedal 28, the liquid under pressure will escapearound the closure 12 and thence through the outlet port 19 by reversemodulation, the same as in forward modulation of the tubular valve 61movement. This low pressure liquid will pass into the reservoir 82and-thence, after being changed to a high-pressure fluid, it is suppliedto the port 48. Also, upon failure of the high pressure fluid the brakescan stillbe applied manually through the link 23, lever 2i and link l9.Whenever pedal pressure is released from the link IS the levers andpiston 50 are returned to normal position by the spring l8.

The hydraulic system as in Fig. 8 will operate in a similar manner also,except that in this instance the power, which acts alone, or which beingconstructed with outer annular enlargements' and supporting ringstherefor having shoulders adapted to restrict the pressure of the sealson the valve. Y

.3. In combination, a slidable valve member, a plurality of annularresilient seals for said valve member, and means for applying pressureto said annularresilient seals, said seals having means for supportingthe same so as to restrict the pressure inwardly, andrecesses forpermitting the flow of the annular resilient seals under pressure so asto further delimit the pressure exerted inwardly by the sealing members.i

4. A' valve, comprising a source of pressure fluid, a slidable valveunit open at both ends and having a valve element controlling thedelivery of said pressure fluid for the performance of work, a member inwhich the valve unit is carried having an end chamber, resilient sealsfor the valve member, located in the member, a pressure fluid inletbetween said seals, said valve unit having a passageway therethroughcommunicatingwith said chamber, and an aperture in the side of the unitadapted to be brought into communication with the fluid inlet by"movement of the valve unit for receiving said pressure fluid,

and a movable member cooperating with the other end of said valve unitto control the position of the valve in the delivery of said fluid inamountsmodulated according to the force exerted by said movable memberand to control the release of the delivered pressure fluid.

5. A valve, comprising a source of pressure fluid, a tubular valve unitopen at both ends, containing an inlet valve and an outlet valve,controlling the delivery of said pressure fluid for the performance oiwork, a cylindrical member in which said valve unit is carried having anend chamber, annular sealing devices for said valves located in saidcylindrical member, a pressure fluid inlet between said sealing devices,said valve unit having a passageway therethrough communicating with saidchamber, and an aperture in the side of the unit adapted to be broughtinto communication with the fluid inlet by the movement of the valveunit for receiving said pressure fluid, and a movable member cooperatingwith the other end of said valve unit to control the position of thevalve unit in the delivery of said fluid in amounts modulated accordingto the force exerted by said movable member and to control the releaseof the delivered pressure.

6. A valve, comprising a source of pressure fluid, a tubular valve unitopen at both ends, containing an inlet valve and an outlet valve,controlling the delivery of said pressure fluid for the performance ofwork, a cylindricalmember in which said valve unit is carried having-anend chamber, annular sealing devices for said valves located in saidcylindrical member, a pressure fluid inlet between said sealing devices,said valve unit having a passageway therethrough communicating with saidchamber, and an aperture in the side of the unit adapted to be broughtinto communication with the fluid, inlet by the movement of the valveunit for receiving said pressure fluid, and almovable member cooperatingwith the other end of said valve unit to control the position of thevalve unit in the delivery of said fluid in amounts modulated accordingto the force exerted by said movable member and to control the releaseof the delivered pressure, said valve unit containing a spring tonormally close the inlet valve.

7. A valve, comprising a source of pressure fluid, a tubular valve unitopen at both ends, containing an inlet valve and an outlet valve,controlling the delivery oi said pressure fluid for the performance ofwork,a cylindrical member in which said valve unit is carried having anend chamber, annular sealing devices for said valves located in saidcylindrical member, a pressure fluid inlet between said sealing devices,said valve unit having a passageway therethrough communicating withsaidchamber, and an aperture in the side of the unit adapted to bebrought into communication with the fluid inlet by the movement of thevalve unit for receiving said pressure fluid, and a movable membercooperating with the other end of said valve unit to control theposition of the valve unit in the delivery of said fluid in amountsmodulated according to the force exerted by said movable member and tocontrol the'release of the delivered pressure, said valve unitcontaining a spring to normally close the inlet valve, the pressurefluid being positioned so as to be free from tendency to open the inletvalve in its seated position.

8. A valve mechanism comprising a source of pressure fluid, a valvemember having an inlet valve element, a body member in which the valvemember reciprocates, having a passageway for transmitting said pressurefluid to the valve memconnected with the periphery of the valve memberfor receiving said pressure fluid from the body member and having achamber atone end of said valve member, seals on the body member locatedon both sides of said peripheral chamber, and means to move the valvemember so that the pressure fluid is received by said valve member in adirection other than in the direction of unseating said valve elementand admitted therefrom to said last-mentioned chamber at one end of thevalve member in amounts modulated according to the force applied by saidmeans and so constructed as to control the release of the admittedpressure fluid from the other end of the valve member, comprising amovable closure movable in a direction to close one end of thefirst-mentioned valve chamber and a spring acting on the valve member inthe opposite direclon.

9. A valve mechanism comprising a source of pressure fluid, a valvemember having an inlet valve element, a body member in which the valvemember reciprocates, having a passageway for transmitting said pressurefluid to the valve member, said valve mechanism having a chamberconnected with the periphery of the valve member for receiving saidpressure fluid from the body member and having a chamber at one end ofsaid valve member, seals on the body member located on both sides oisaid peripheral chamber, a spacing member between said seals, and meansto move the valve member so that the pressure fluid is received by saidvalve member in a direction other than in the direction of unseatingsaid valve element and admitted therefrom to said last-mentioned chamberat one end of the valve member in amounts modulated according to theforce applied by said means and so constructed as to control thereieaseof the admitted pressure fluid from the other end of the valve member,comprising a movable closure movable in a direction to close one end ofthe first-mentioned valve chamber and a spring acting on the valvemember in the opposite direc-' a spacing member, containing a pressurefluid inlet port, between said seals, and means to move the valve memberso that the pressure fluid is received by said valve member in adirection other than in the direction of unseating said valve elementand admitted therefrom to-said last-mentioned chamber at one end of thevalve member in amounts modulated according to theforce applied by saidmeans and so constructed- ,as to control the release of the admittedpressure fluid from the other end of the valve member, comprising amovable closure movable in a direction to close one end of thefirst-mentioned valve chamber and a spring acting on the valve member inthe opposite direction.

EDWARD A, ROCKWELL.

